Scandinavia

Just when Norwegian football appears to be resolving its internal crisis over three national team players refusing to sign the Norwegian Football Association's sponsorship deal, the Norwegian Track and Field Association (NFIF) is facing the same ordeal.

The second annual Oslo Racing Festival will not be held this year after a dispute between festival organisers and the Swedish Touring Car Championship (STCC) over costs failed to be resolved.

The international careers of four of Norway's top players are still hanging in the balance following a last minute hitch over a compromise deal on marketing rights with the Norwegian Football Association.

Norwegian alpine skier, Lasse Kjuus has been fined 10,000 kroner ($1,140) by the Norwegian Ski Association for breaching Norway's rules against mixing sports and alcohol for commercial purposes.

Leading global soccer star web site control Icons Worldwide Limited (Icons) has added a host of major players to its portfolio with the acquisitions of Sportprofiles International Limited and Futbolweb SA, a subsidiary of Canal 21, both leading internet sports companies.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) vice-president Dick Pound said on Wednesday that Athens was far behind in preparing the 2004 Olympics but denied the IOC was considering moving the Games.

U.S. drug control chief Barry McCaffrey has said that improved random dope tests and wider global research would help beat cheats at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials have accused the United States of covering up doping cases among U.S. athletes for more than a decade.

Euro 2000 proved a major hit with TV audiences across the continent, according to the latest figures released by Mediametrie.

The Belgian authorities have expelled a Yugoslav soccer federation official after he was found selling black market tickets at Euro 2000.

More than half of Italian soccer fans say that commercialisation is behind the downturn in fortunes experienced by their country's football teams.

UEFA have announced sweeping changes to their internal structure.

Euro 2000 organisers have freed up well over 50,000 tickets for this summer's championships and plan to sell them from Thursday.

The 11th European Sponsorship Consultants Association (ESCA) Congress will be held this year in Stockholm on November 15-16.

US sports marketing firm, Envision Sports and Entertainment, is expanding into Europe, appointing former ISL chiefs Chris Renner and Mark Devenport in the process.

Denis O’Brien, the millionaire Irish businessman, has raised his offer to buy PGA European Tour Courses PLC, a golf course operator, by three million pounds to £35m ($51m/B

Following the recent opening of their German office in Munich, SportBusiness Group has appointed Sponsorworld to be their official sales agent for Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland.

Sportsetail, the merchandising business owned as a joint venture by the UK’s Hay & Robertson and BSkyB, has reached a European product and distribution agreement with FIFA for the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan.